Zeff Kesher Foundation
Zeff Kesher Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in New York, Colorado, Washington, DC, and Massachusetts, including Jewish organizations and organizations supporting education and services in Israel.
Zeff Kesher Foundation at a glance
In short: Zeff Kesher Foundation gave $1.9M across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $195K), mostly in New York. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,949,167
- -19.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $194,917
- -19.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $37,500
- Total assets
- $35,174,218
- +21.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Zeff Kesher Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 555 Circle Drive, Denver, CO 80206
Phone: (720) 201-5159
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Zeff Kesher Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Shalom Hartman Institute of America ($750K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 55 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in New York received 70% of grant dollars and recipients in Colorado received 28%. Recipients in Washington, DC, received 1%; the reported share for Massachusetts was 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Zeff Kesher Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $216K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 52% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 157% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $724K (2020) to $2.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Shalom Hartman Institute of America New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $750,000 |
| Jewish Agency for Israel North America New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $500,000 |
| Jewish Colorado Denver, CO | Charitable Purpose | $480,000 |
| American Technion Society New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $66,667 |
| Temple Emanuel Denver, CO | Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| ADL New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| American Friends of Leket Teaneck, NY | Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| American Israel Education Foundation Washington, DC | Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| Jewish Family Service Denver, CO | Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| Impactisrael Inc Needham, MA | Charitable Purpose | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Zeff Kesher Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $35,174,218 | $11,508,200 | $2,124,866 | $1,949,167 | 10 | $1,949,617 | $5,315,867 | $1,245,291 |
| 2023 | $28,941,730 | $4,418,530 | $2,568,020 | $2,406,000 | 10 | $2,409,285 | $449,498 | $1,169,023 |
| 2022 | $24,454,296 | $3,180,297 | $938,547 | $759,101 | 14 | $760,106 | $323,622 | $1,146,441 |
| 2021 | $27,225,908 | $4,517,447 | $1,493,158 | $1,282,475 | 14 | $1,283,455 | $2,544,626 | $1,182,200 |
| 2020 | $23,634,428 | $3,676,224 | $856,140 | $723,618 | 7 | — | $241,304 | $957,303 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Zeff Kesher Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for the Shalom Hartman Institute of America, Jewish Agency for Israel North America, Jewish Colorado, American Technion Society, and other charitable organizations.
Among the grantees, American Israel Education Foundation describes itself as a charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC that supports educational programs, including Middle East research, educational materials, and conferences. ImpactIsrael says it supports programs and activities of Yemin Orde Wingate Youth Village and Village Way educational initiatives in Israel.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $1,949,167. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $750,000, with a median grant of $37,500. Its largest 2024 grants were $750,000 to Shalom Hartman Institute of America, $500,000 to Jewish Agency for Israel North America, and $480,000 to Jewish Colorado. Other grants included $66,667 to American Technion Society and $50,000 to Temple Emanuel.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Diana Anderson as president and director, Adam Yehoshua Wolfson as vice president and director, and Elan Hadar Wolfson as vice president and director.
Zeff Kesher Foundation is led by Diana Anderson, President Director Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Diana Anderson
President Director Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adam Yehoshua Wolfson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Elan Hadar Wolfson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Zeff Kesher Foundation
How much does Zeff Kesher Foundation give each year?
Zeff Kesher Foundation gave $1.9M across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.4M across 10 grants.
What is Zeff Kesher Foundation's typical grant size?
Zeff Kesher Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $37,500, and its average grant was $194,917, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Zeff Kesher Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Zeff Kesher Foundation give grants?
Zeff Kesher Foundation gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants) and Denver, CO (3 grants).
Who are Zeff Kesher Foundation's largest grantees?
Zeff Kesher Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Shalom Hartman Institute of America ($750,000), Jewish Agency for Israel North America ($500,000) and Jewish Colorado ($480,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Zeff Kesher Foundation?
Zeff Kesher Foundation reported $35.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Zeff Kesher Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for the Shalom Hartman Institute of America, Jewish Agency for Israel North America, Jewish Colorado, American Technion Society, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Zeff Kesher Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Zeff Kesher Foundation's EIN?
Zeff Kesher Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1444858. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Zeff Kesher Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Zeff Kesher Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Rose Community Foundation
Denver, CO
Rose Community Foundation funds nonprofits in the seven-county Greater Denver region across Jewish life, education and economic opportunity, health, and community wellbeing, with some statewide initiatives. Its 2024 itemized grants ranged from $5,050 to $1,348,353, with a median of $25,000; it accepts inquiries for listed funding opportunities, but whether it accepts unsolicited requests generally is not stated.
Assets
$399.6M
Grants
531
Total Given
$27.8M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago funds human services, Jewish education and community programs, crisis response, and support for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, primarily through Chicago-area agencies and initiatives. In 2025, its grants had a median of about $20,000, though awards ranged widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
The Chotin Family Foundation
Centennial, CO
The Chotin Family Foundation funds Jewish causes, education, health and medical work, Israel-related programs, and arts and culture, with most 2025 grant dollars going to Colorado and nearly a third to New York. Its 2025 grants had a median of $2,500, though awards ranged from $36 to $289,940. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$6.0M
Grants
49
Total Given
$873K
JEWISHColorado
Denver, CO
JEWISHcolorado funds Jewish life and organizations, including work in outreach, education, human services, and mental health, primarily in Colorado and also in Israel and globally. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1,016,600, with a median of $13,000; the profile says grants have an application process but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$84.3M
Grants
151
Total Given
$6.0M
United Jewish Community of Broward County Inc
Davie, FL
The Federation funds Jewish organizations and programs addressing community needs, safety, education, Israel and global Jewish life, and crisis response, with work focused on Broward County, Israel, and Jewish communities worldwide. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,500 to $1,497,202, with a median of $25,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; proposals are by invitation only.
Assets
$210.6M
Grants
99
Total Given
$8.2M
Colorado Gives Foundation
Arvada, CO
Colorado Gives Foundation funds nonprofits serving Jefferson County in areas including food security, early care and education, workforce development, housing, health and convenient neighborhoods; it also offers statewide nonprofit capacity-building support. Typical giving varies widely: its 2024 median grant was $17,814, while Thriving Jeffco Responsive Grant awards ranged from $2,500 to $100,000. It accepts applications through listed grant opportunities, but whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$527.1M
Grants
2,211
Total Given
$91.0M
More similar funders
More Funders in Colorado
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Zeff Kesher Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/zeff-kesher-foundation-morg_f4e83f9fa7db4e2fafc4d55734decc9b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461444858_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Zeff Kesher Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/zeff-kesher-foundation-morg_f4e83f9fa7db4e2fafc4d55734decc9b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Zeff Kesher Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Zeff Kesher Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?